What goes up must come down
by celesticalhuntress
Summary: By the time, Adrien realize the consequences of being passive it was too late. He and his friends had fallen while Marinette and her friends risen.
1. Chapter 1

** What goes up must come down**

**Summary: By the time, Adrien realize the consequences of being passive it was too late. He and his friends had fallen while Marinette and her friends risen.**

**I don't own Miraculous Ladybug or Batman. **

Marinette smile as she fights alongside her boyfriend Damian and his family. She had been fighting alongside them for years now. In her everyday job, she is a fashion designer like she always wants to be both for citizens and superheroes. Her life has risen from the low it was after Lila's return.

A few weeks after Lila return, a few students from several other classes brought their concerns about the rumors that she had been spreading to Marinette's parents' attention. They told the Dupain-Cheng parents how Lila had been expelled from her former school in Italy for bullying a student to committing suicide. They were worried about Marinette especially since it looks like Lila was targeting her next. While most classes didn't believe the rumors, having been warned about her beforehand and checking her stories out, it looks like Marinette's class did with Marinette being the sole exception. From their point of view, it looks like Marinette's classmates have started to isolate her and they were worried that it will develop into bullying any day now. They thought Marinette wouldn't bring it up to the other people's attention because she didn't want to trouble them. The students want the parents to help their daughter before things got worse. They defend Marinette at school. They had tried to told Marinette's class of Lila's history but had been brushed off. One of them pulled up an article about Lila at her old school and showed it to the two concerned parents. The two parents thanked them and sended them on their way with free pastries. That night, they bought the topic up with Marinette. The look on Marinette's face told them everything. They coaxed the entire story out of Marinette along with the threat. Sabine started ranting about Lila and mention how Lila won't be driving Marinette to committing to suicide like she did to that poor student in Italy. Marinette was surprised about that piece of information. The fact she didn't know surprise her parents. The other students had all been warned by their teachers. Didn't Ms. Bustier warned her? The negative reply infuriated her parents.

The next day, Sabine stormed into the principal's office to screamed about how he had let her daughter be bullied by a girl who had already driven another to commit suicide. Principal Damocles was intimidated by the angry mother but managed to explain that he had told all the teachers to warn their class about Lila. Marinette explained she and her class had never heard about it from Ms. Bustier. She also explained about Lila's lies so far and how her class and teacher had reacted. Principal Damocles called Ms. Bustier to his office. When he asked her why he didn't warn her class about Lila, Ms. Bustier tries to justify saying she didn't want her class to bully or isolate Lila. That will just make her worse. Sabine startws screaming about how Lila was bullying Marinette. Ms. Bustier tried to brush it off with how Marinette should set a good example for her classmates and forgive Lila. Sabine wasn't impressed and neither was Damocles. Sabine give Damocles an ultimatum, transfer Marinette to another class and protect her properly or she will pull Marinette from his school and tell Nadja and all the customers at the bakery just why she pulled her little girl from his school. Damocles chose the first option and also put Ms. Bustier on probation. He put Marinette in Ms. Mendeleiev class. Sabine want to talk to her first to ensure she wasn't another Ms. Bustier. Damocles agrees under her glare. Ms. Mendeleiev was called and briefed on the situation. She like the other two adults wasn't impressed with Ms. Bustier's explanation or actions. She agrees to look out for Marinette in her class but expected Marinette to keep up with her work. She walks with Marinette to her class.

Marinette quickly made friends there and break off ties with her old ones at her parent's insistence. Her parents didn't think it was a good idea for her to be friends with people who will turn on her so easily. When her former class started to criticize her for believing the slander about Lila and transferring classes, she uncharacteristically snapped at them and told them to stay far away from her. If they can't see the truth, then they weren't worth her time or help. They had then started to shout insults at her. Alix and Kim tried to hit her. She managed to dodge. Thank kwamis for being Ladybug. Lucky for her, her new friends came to her aid, before she attacks back. Otherwise she didn't want to think about the consequences. Ms. Bustier's class was put in detention for bullying. Alix and Kim were put on suspension from their sports team. She had been taken to the nurse by Ms. Mendeleiev. Then, an akuma attack. Fortunately, she managed to defeat it quickly and rushed back to the nurse. Unfortunately, she didn't check her surroundings and detransformed right in front of Ms. Mendeleiev, who had come to check on her since she wasn't in class.

She managed to persuade Ms. Mendeleiev to keep her identity a secret. Ms. Mendeleiev may have been strict, but she appreciates hard work and with Chat Noir's unprofessional behavior growing, she respects Marinette even more since Marinette managed to keep up her grades. Ms. Mendeleiev offers to help her hide her identity and keep up on her schoolwork. Marinette was delighted with the help.

That night, Tikki told Marinette about how as Ladybug she can spread good luck to her friends, but since she no longer considered them friends, they had lost it. Marinette didn't care. All that matter now was her new friends and finding Hawkmoth. The next day, Damian Wayne transfer into her class. Later that week, Robin join her in an akuma fight when Chat Noir once again fail to show. After that quick fight, Robin ask to talk to her about the situation. He said he was sent by the League of Heroes to help. Chat Noir choose to show himself after they set a time and place to meet. He tried to flirt with her but was punched by Robin who said it was because he was making her uncomfortable. She was charmed and that was when she started to crush on him and not Adrien. Robin actually stood up for her without even knowing her for long. Unlike that spineless fool, as Chloe called him when she transfers into Ms. Mendeleiev's class the next week.

Adrien had tried to lecture her about the high road and how Lila's lies weren't hurting anyone. After hearing about the suicide in Lila's former school, she didn't agree and argue back pointing that out. In a self-righteous tone that grated on her nerves, he said that Lila just needed to be show some kindness to change. She should just let Lila tell her lies and be the bigger person. Maybe it was the fact Robin, a complete stranger, help her, maybe it is because she knows from his tone of voice and posture that he believes she will do everything for him, or maybe it is because he is defending the bully and not the dead victim or her, his friend. She can still hear the cold words spilling from her throat, "Her lies are not hurting anyone. They are not hurting anyone now, but soon they will. When her lies are revealed, everyone who believe in them will fall and when they do so will you." With that she turned on her back on him.

Chloe had been listening to her conversation. "Well said, Dupain-Cheng." She praised. "You don't need to cry about your lost crush." She knows now as her friendship with Chloe grow that Chloe was just trying to comfort her. Chloe apologize for bullying her the past years at the end of her first day in Ms. Mendeleiev's class. She explained that she was jealous that Marinette could help her parents with parents with their work and spend quality time with them every day. Marinette forgot her and they bond over their former class's stupidity. Apparently despite Ms. Bustier's warning and the other classes telling the truth, they still believe Lila's stories. Lila's stories cause them to start bullying the other classes, causing more akumas. This led her to giving Chloe the Bee Miraculous to help her and Robin.

Robin, after the first battle, meet her that night at Eiffel Tower. He lay out a plan to found Hawkmoth. They begin by pinpointing all the akumas so far and determining a general area. This narrows it down considerably. He also told her that his family would be coming to help after they finish some business in Gotham City. A few months passes, and Chat Noir's behavior wasn't getting any better. In fact, it gets so bad that even the media was alerted. It got to the point that a seminar that Marinette's parents had taken her to on how to recognize toxic behavior used Chat Noir as an example. The reason become clear when they discovered Gabriel was Hawkmoth.

Batman join them the night of their operation. They had already planned to use sleeping gas when Gabriel and Nathalie were in separate rooms to avoid conflict. Chat Noir finally came when they already halfway to Argeste Mansion. He said he will only help if Ladybug go on a date beforehand. They planned the operation for tonight! Ladybug nodded at Queen Bee who use Venom on him. Ladybug took the ring and revealed Chat Noir to be Adrian Argeste. Somehow that didn't shock her. If anything it makes a lot of sense with how he was always pushing for her to reveal their identity (which get worse after she let slipped that a civilian know her identity and helps in her balance her Ladybug duties and everyday life) and how he stop helping in akuma battles. Chloe snorted and said what she was thinking "Well that explains so much. This scum was helping his father" Chloe ran off to recharge, saying she would join them soon. What the four heroes didn't know was that the people had caught everything on video.

At the Argeste Mansion, the sleeping gas had done its job. They easily got Nooroo and Dusuu back. The police were called after they secured the Miraculous and the Grimoire. They took the still sleeping Gabriel and Nathalie away after being showed the video of the former transforming into Hawkmoth. The next day, Adrien and Lila were also arrested in class. Apparently, Chloe had found video of Lila taking multiple akuma butterflies and send it in. Adrien was arrested for harassment and also assisting his father. Lila was deported. Adrien was placed in Juvie because when they can't determine if he was helping his father or not, they can find evidence of harassment, thanks to the past few months and the fact he didn't take part in the last confrontation.

Marinette didn't care. She has been dating Damian/ Robin for the past months. They had been revealed when they had to rush into the same place to transformed. She was moving to Gotham City with Chloe to study in Gotham Academy. She had done her duty and now it was time for her to fulfil her dream. Master Fu named her the new Guardian and give her the Miracle Box. Her parents were sad about her leaving, but proud because she was following her dream at one of the best academies in the world. When she walked onto the Wayne's private jet in a blue dress she had designed and made with her long hair down with Chloe, ready to start a fresh chapter in her life, she was full of hope for her future. Her future proves to be bright. She apprentices under Audrey Bourgeosis who makes costumes for superheroes. (That was why she didn't have contact with Chloe. She didn't want to put her in danger.) Now when the Queen of Fashion steps down, the Fashion Princess will step up.

**Principal Damocles couldn't punish Lila for telling stories. But now anything she said about any student, especially Marinette, is not taken into consideration. Literally it goes in one ear and out the other.**

**I got the idea for this story from other stories I have been reading. I have been reading "La Red" on archive of our own. Marinette wasn't Lila's only victim. Another one was "Cons of being Ladybug" on Tumblr. Also, I have been reading a lot of Daminette fanfictions so now I ship them. **

**The idea of Marinette getting good luck from Lila or her classmates was inspired "Karmic Luck" and "Fortune Reversal." I edit it a bit because I want Marinette to accomplish everything on her own work in this story.**

**Marinette's parents were concerned that she still clings to her friendships despite her friends abandoning her. They realize they had raised her to be too kind and caring (because that is what Marinette is to me. If my friends turned on me, I break out friendships off in an instant) and that they need to teach her how to tell when someone is toxic and how to help someone without endangering herself.**

**Marinette got into Gotham Academy easily despite her absences and slightly lower than acceptable in Ms. Bustier's class. Her grades pick up in Ms. Mendeleiev's class thanks to Ms. Mendeleiev's help. Ms. Bustier was fired soon after how she handed the situation with Lila and how she let Chloe get away with bullying her class for years. The Gotham Academy assumed that the low grades were due to the toxic environment that her teacher created.**


	2. Fall

**I don't own Miraculous Ladybug or Batman. **

"Her lies are not hurting anyone. They are not hurting anyone now, but soon they will. When her lies are revealed, everyone who believe in them will fall and when they do so will you." Marinette's cold voice and cruel words echo in Adrien's head. The fact that they turn out to be true just drive the pain in more.

He had thought Marinette was just being selfish at the time, when she transfers class and cut ties with her friends. He had thought that she will eventually realize her mistakes and apologize to the class. But she didn't. Instead she just made new friends and start ignoring them. Her new friends didn't believe Lila and were continuously trying to expose her. He had tried to get them to stop by telling them her lies weren't hurting anyone. However, they just snarl at him or laugh in his face.

He had realized now looking back at on it, that Lila's lies had hurt his friends. After Alix and Kim were suspended from their teams for attacking Marinette, they miss important competitions where there were college coaches scouting. Even after they got back in, there was an unspoken tension between them and the rest of their teams due to the fact they believe in Lila's lies. Due to Lila's stories of her doing extreme sports, they tried to imitate her and ended up with injuries, which prevent them from playing sports. During these times, new students join and since they got along better with the team and were just as good, they stay, replacing his friends. From what they shout at him, when they visit him in Juvie, they couldn't get into their dream colleges and jobs.

Kitty Section broke up with Luka leaving. Luka apparently didn't believe Lila's lies. He also didn't like Lila's "tips" for the music they should play. After a huge argument with the rest of the band, when the band was booed off stage in a competition, Luka went solo. From what he heard from the wardens and others in Juvie and what little he saw on TV; Luka was on his way to becoming a star. The rest of the group through keep taking Lila's advice and was banned from all music competitions.

The Ladyblog was labeled as a tabloid by the media due to Lila's stories. Alya didn't see that Lila's interviews were harming her reputation as a journalist and keep posting them. Eventually she was sued by the various celebrities that Lila claim to know for slander and defamation. From what he heard, her family was now in debt.

Nino, like Kitty Section, took Lila's advice on his films and like them lost competitions. His and Alya's parents also found out about them dumping their babysitting first on Marinette then on their other friends in the most horrible way possible. Mylene didn't know about Etta's allergy to dairy and had brought all three kids ice-cream on an outing to the park. A passerby thankfully managed to call the ambulance and Etta was fine. However, the hospital call Etta's parents when Mylene couldn't answer their questions. Alya's parents were furious when they heard the situation. Mylene apologize profusely and managed to get out with no trouble, since she had all but forced to babysit by Alya who wouldn't accept no for an answer. THe guilt through still take its toll on Mylene and eventually she and Ivan brought up. Alya was grounded by her parents and her allowance take away to pay Marinette and her other friends. Nino too suffer the same fate.

Nathaniel broke off with Marc, when Lila said she would be better as a writer since she knew so many writers. Marc was invited by Marinette to join her group of friends. Marinette once again helped and introduced him to another artist from she met a design competition she joined. From what he heard, the two got along great and had work together to join several writing and drawing competitions. He learned, from what little bits of gossip he managed to hear from the other classes (before Lila draw the attention back to her), that they would be interning with a large publishing company after graduation. Nathaniel, on the other hand, somehow got in the middle of a fight between two football players and his hand was damaged. He would never be able to draw again.

Max listened to Lila's "advice" about coding and accidentally create a virus, which spread through the entire school. The school board was, needless to say, not amused as the virus first cause the monitors to display some very inappropriate pictures and then cause the programs on every computer to go haywire and their data to be lost. New programs had to be purchased for everything. Max barely managed to avoid being expelled by promising to pay for all the new programs out of his own pocket. He was still suspended, and no college wouldn't accept him. The other students shunned him as they had been working on important projects and reports at that time for finals and their work was lost. The majority were lucky to have some work saved at home. The teachers give everyone extensions.

Sabrina was caught by Ms. Mendeleiev sneaking into her office. After Ms. Mendeleiev refuse to let Lila off for a test which she failed, she spread rumors that Ms. Mendeleiev was purposely lowering her grade. Sabrina sneak into her office to change Lila's grade. After the investigation, when Ms. Mendeleiev show the police Lila's test and Lila took another test, which she also failed, Sabrina was forced to transfer to another school by the school board if she didn't want the incident on her transcript.

Everything blow up after his father and Nathalie was arrested. He and Lila were placed on trial. He found out the Lila had purposely taken akuma butterflies and she was arrested for assisting in terrorism. Her diplomatic immunity was waived, and she was sentenced to juvie and jail with a chance for patrol in 30 years. He was arrested for harassment and assisting in terrorism. He had tried to protest saying he and Ladybug were soulmates and if she had just accepted that he wouldn't have done that. The judge and jury didn't agree, saying that Ladybug had told them she didn't want romance getting in the way of her duty to Paris. It was her choice and he had no right to force her. Also, he had no right to place his own desires over the lives of the entire city. He was barely cleared of the charges for aiding his father. Since they had no evidence, they couldn't make it stick. He still holds on to the belief that he had done nothing wrong, and if Ladybug had just admitted her feelings and identify he wouldn't have left her alone to fight. Not that she was alone for long since Chloe (he still sneered at the thought of his oldest friend) join her as Queen Bee, and the citizen (who know her identity) aid her in her everyday life. It was so unfair! How come a citizen gets to know her identity but he, her partner, don't?

His entire class was also placed on trial for assisting Hawkmoth. They had believed Lila's lies and had helped bullied people who didn't believe it. This cause a lot of akumaizations. The fact the entire class have all been akumatized multiple times also counted against them. His friends tried to defend themselves by saying that was from Chloe bullying them. Mayor Bourgeois defend his daughter citing the fact she was Queen Bee and had done more for the city in the recent months than Chat Noir. He pointed out that since Chloe had transferred, they still get akumatized, and Chloe's new classmates didn't get akumatized that often. What akumaizations did occur could be traced back to them not her. They tried to say Marinette had never been akumatized so surely that means that had to count for something. Maybe she was the one working for Hawkmoth to get them all akumatized. The judge's reply was to show them a clip of a video from before Lila become Chameleon. Apparently the akuma butterfly that Lila took was actually meant for Marinette. After the video was showed, the courtroom door was literally knocked down by Marinette's angry friends and people she had helped. The people who were already in the courtroom also started shouting at his class

One of them, Lily, was the creator of WhiteButterfly, a website that Ladybug supported and recommended on Face to Face. WhiteButterfly provide ways to calm down and release your negative emotions. It also suggests ways to destress. Marinette had apparently given Lily the idea for it after she had help Lily calm down one day. Marinette started to google tips for ways to calm down, when Hawkmoth appear. She shares them with people who were having a bad day. Marinette was credited for helping Lily with the website and also suggesting the feature that send subscribers a message to brighten their day every day. It was easy to deduce that Marinette had used the tips herself to stop any akumas from getting her.

Nadja, who was broadcasting at the time and had worked with WhiteButterfly, also claim that Marinette had been the one to introduce her to WhiteButterfly and the one who suggest that the news give a tip to every day. Ladybug had appeared on her show at Marinette's request to recommend WhiteButterfly. So, there was no way Marinette could have been helping Hawkmoth. Somehow, Ladybug heard of the accusation and stormed into the courtroom. She stated very clear when Nadja ask her for her opinion, due to the high number of akumaizations, she kept a close eye on Ms. Bustier's class and so she can confidently state that Marinette wasn't working for Hawkmoth. If she hadn't transfer classes when she did through, she may have been akumatized too. Besides Ms. Bustier's class had started causing akumaizations after she had transferred classes and like Chloe, Marinette's new class didn't get akumatized that much. It must have been something they had done and were now trying to push the blame to someone else. With that Marinette's innocence was confirmed. Angry messages and calls were sent to Nadja, who show it on the screen. Apparently, Marinette was really well-liked, and her fans didn't enjoy them trying to slander her. Her parents also said that they will sue them for slander and that they were banned from the bakery. The trial ended with his friends getting a few months in Juvie.

He had heard at the Dupain-Cheng Bakery on one of outings with a patrol officer, that Marinette was attending Gotham Academy. Her grades had returned to how they were before Hawkmoth started attacking when she started attending Ms. Mendeleiev's class. Sabine had commented how glad she was that Marinette had transferred when she had. She had gone away from a toxic solution and flourish. Tom had said he was so proud of his daughter. Gotham Academy was far, but it was an elite school. Even if Marinette doesn't become a designer, her future was still bright.

In his small room at the faculty, Adrien laugh hysterically. Marinette's voice echoed _"When her lies are revealed, everyone who believe in them will fall and when they do so will you." _How true

**What happen to Ms. Bustier's class is inspired by "True friends" by IEXIST4 on archive of our own and also "Good Luck Charm gone" by Miraculous of Salt on Tumblr. WhiteButterfly is also insipted by LAdyBugOut by MiraculousContent on Tumblr.**

**Sabrina I felt is pitiful. Since the teachers know she used to be Chloe's lackey and about Lila's stories, they decide to go easy on her. As long as she left, they were fine with it.**

**Marinette's parents like Gotham Academy assume that her absences and grades were due to being in Ms. Bustier's class. The fact that her former class tried to drag her down with them make it clear that there was something wrong with them. No wonder their little girl couldn't focus on her studies and need to leave even now and then. The environment was toxic, especially with Hawkmoth and Hawkmoth's son manipulating Marinette (Yeah, Marinette told them about Adrien's advice regarding Lila. Also, the harassment towards Ladybug make them thankful Marinette was too shy to make a move.) **


End file.
